Women’s Psychology and Prout

Q: How are the varnas expressed through women's psychology? What  is  the role of women in terms of Proutist concepts such as block level planning and people's economy, particularly in the  agricultural  sector?

      It is a good question.

     First  of  all there are three distinct differences in  the  way  in  which women express these particular psychic tendencies and the  way  in  which  they  are expressed by men.  

     First  of all there is the difference in expression due  to  status.  Women in most societies do not enjoy the same privileges or the same  rights  as  do  men. Therefore their expression  of  the  varnas  is  influenced  by a lack of access to basic social status  and  rights.   Most women do not have a firm standing of authority from which  they  can  dictate their own condition and the condition of  other  women.  They  are  dependent  on men to give them  their  status.  They  are  relying  on  men  to make decisions  concerning  the  political  and  economic conditions within their respective societies. Therefore  in  most  countries  and in most societies throughout this  world  women  come  under the influence of men. They are not independent  or  self  determined. Thus their expression of the varnas is influenced by the  male. 

     The  next  point  is that women are often relegated  to  work  which  pertains to the home and to the rearing of children. They may  cook,  they  may sew, they may gather wood or bring in crops. They  may  do  many  tasks,  but you will find if you look at many  societies  that  these   tasks  are  primarily  involved  in  the  preservation   and  maintenance of the home. Therefore, many women find themselves first  and foremost involved in tasks which make them homemakers. There are  two  reasons  for  this. One reason is their  involvement  with  the  raising of children. Second reason is that women, unlike men, have a  strong commitment to the preservation and maintenance of life. It is  their natural disposition. So they are drawn to this work.

       Now  the third factor of influence in the expression of  varnas  for  women  is  their  socio-economic  status.  Due  to  their  dependent  position,  most women do not enjoy economic freedom.  And  therefore  they  cannot dictate their own position. In addition very few  women  enjoy political power and independence. Thus frequently women do not  have socio-economic power. Without this power, they become dependent  on  others to dictate their futures and their expression. So it  can  be  said  that  in  most societies, women do  not  have  freedom  of  expression.  They  do  not have the right  to  fully  develop  their  capacities  and  to  enjoy opportunities for  expression  of  multi- dimensional interests and capacities. Their status is such that they  are  oftimes reduced to manual laborer. Therefore the vast  majority  of  women  are  engaged primarily in manual tasks  and  not  in  the  development  of  intellect  or the full expression  of  their  inner  potentiality.  In order to have greater scope of this expression  of  inner  potentiality  women  must  gain  economic  power  and  social  independence. They must be free to leave an exploitative  situation,  to have independent status apart from their husbands and to  express  their  views  freely and openly within the society. 

     So  you  see,  a woman may  have  intellectual  interests,  economic  independence and social status. Her desires are not unlike the  man.  She  would enjoy the same fruits of her labors were she able.  Women  are  no more inclined to the work of laborer than men. It is due  to  their  lack of independence that so many women labor and so few  are  writing,  teaching, running businesses and expressing themselves  in  the  world.  A  woman  who  has  economic  resources  and  emotional  independence, who can think clearly what are her values, what is  it  she will contribute to the society, a woman with economic and social  standing  will  do many great works. She will equal any man  in  her  potential  intellectually, spiritually and in all stratum  of  human  expression.  

     So  there  is no need for inferiority. A time will come  when  women  will  again have much standing in the society and their status  will  dramatically affect the collective expression. They will not toil as  oppressed  human beings, but will realize their greatness  and  come  forward in greater numbers expressing their ideas, developing  their  minds,  learning  to assert themselves in society  and  become  bold  leaders and vanguards of the new era. It can be done and I am hoping  that all will heed the clarion call and come forward at this time to  serve the society and to develop a neo-humanistic society based upon  universalism and respect for all living creatures.

Q: What is it in the psychology of men that encourages the  physical  and  mental  exploitation of women and violence  towards  women?  Is  there a resolution of this difficulty?

      It is a very good question, a very important question. It must be  asked  and  some  thought should be given to the origins and the  solutions  to  this  exploitation,  particularly  to  the  psychic  violence  as  well as the physical violence which so many  women in this world suffer. 

     Now it can be said that the rise of patriarchy gave license to  some  of  the baser qualities in the male of the species. It can be said  that  with  the  rise  of patriarchy  men  began  to  express their fundamental need for domination and power. Men of that early  period began to feel their manly strength and to enjoy  their  new  found  power. You see, for the male, personal prestige and  authority  are most important. In general many men find that to have a manly  role,  one that gives them certain authority and certain  privileges, one that gives them dominance over weaker or less assertive individuals, brings  pleasure. It brings a feeling of mastery, of competence,  of  self-importance.  Now for the male, these  feelings  may  be appropriate, may be fostered, may be fitting. But when they  become  the cause of mental and physical violence, they become ill fitted to  the  standing of a human being. So you see, they may be  good,  they may even have a place in the individual and collective  development.  But  when they become excessive, when they dominate rationality  and  sensitivity and become the cause of exploitation and degradation of  others, they have crossed from manly urges to demonical drives which  are of harm to this society.

     Now  with regards to women, it can be said that they have  been  the  most  exploited, the most abused of all. Why is this?  Because  male  dominance has in many instances crossed the line from manliness to  demonical action. This has been permitted, even condoned due to  the  influence of patriarchy and the need for the suppression of women in  order to maintain the power of male dominance in this society. Women  have become the objects of men's passions, of their anger, of their  frustration and of their belligerence. Countless women have suffered  degradation and  humiliation at the hands of men. Countless women  have been beaten, raped, insulted and abused in every way by men  asserting their manly domination. It should not be like this. These are  the actions of animals, hiding in human form. As long as  women  have no economic power, no independence, as long as they must accept  whatever  abuse is given or be turned out to starve; this situation  cannot be corrected.

     Women must have economic independence and independent  status in order to preserve themselves, to protect themselves from  excessive  manly  domination  in these crude and violent ways. Women  must  be  empowered  to regulate what will be tolerated. If it is too much,  a  woman must have both economic and social status sufficient to remove  herself from a violent and abusive male. In this way some resolution  will  come to the massive violence that is now  perpetuated  against  women. 

     There will always be men who driven by manly urges, lose all  sense of propriety, all sense of humanity and become  animalistic. These  men  must  be corrected by strong social edicts and women  who  have  sufficient  resources  to themselves carry clout in  the  situation. When this changes, there will be some regulation in the society  and this violence will be controlled. You see, the manly need for dominance is not wrong. It is not evil. It is how it is expressed that is of utmost importance. It must  be expressed in such a way that the collective good of all peoples  is  enhanced and none are degraded or abused. It can be done and  many  men  do  it very nicely. Only there is too much permission  in  many  cultures, too  much acceptability  for the  use  of  violence  for  emotional and physical abuse in the name of manliness. It cannot  be  tolerated. It should not be tolerated.

     When  a man begins to display such behavior, it is the duty  of  the  collective body of the society to counsel him, to apply pressure and  if need be, correction. His manly need must be redirected. He should  find his prestige in noble acts, pick himself up and get  positively  directed. Then his manly expression will be an asset to the society. If  he  continues  with violence and abusive  action  towards  wife,  children or others he perceives as his inferiors, he must be  openly  corrected.  If  he will not change, he should be  removed  from  all  opportunity  until such a time in which he can conduct himself in a way which is befitting a human being.